Wooden bollards have been installed at the King George V Stadium in an attempt to stop illegal traveller encampments from setting up there.

Travellers have regularly used the stadium and its grounds as a site to set up encampments when they are moving through Grimsby, often leaving behind vast amounts of rubbish, with old gas canisters and human waste being found on at least one occasion.

They visited the council owned playing fields eight times last year, with six caravans pitching up around the slide on the last.

New wooden bollards have been installed at the King George V Stadium. This is to stop travellers from causing damage to the grassed area.

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Park ward councillor Matthew Patrick, who is also the North East Lincolnshire Council Portfolio Holder for Finance, Community Assets, Governance and Tourism, had stated last year his intention to find some form of barrier to stop illegal encampments.

He said at the time that whatever barrier is put in place, the council would pay for it.

The council has been looking for a location to develop a designated stopover site for travellers for the past four years.

In the last consultation five sites were short listed, with one preferred site selected, the Nacton and Orwell Street car park, however following a backlash from residents and local businesses the site was deemed unsuitable.

New wooden bollards have been installed at the King George V Stadium. This is to stop travellers from causing damage to the grassed area.

Now the council is undertaking another public consultation to find a suitable site, but this time it will be looking at the possibility of buying private land, which it has not previously done.

Cllr Patrick said: “We’ve had a number of unauthorised encampments on the site over the last few years, and pledged to do something about it to try to prevent them in the future. We looked at a range of options, and the wooden post installation is the most environmentally friendly option, and the one that’s been proved in other areas to keep vehicles off the grass.

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Travellers set up camp at King George V Stadium. (Image: Grimsby News and Pictures)

The use of posts will allow ease of access to dog walkers and other users of the open space access for which it is intended. We made a promise and we kept it. I warmly invite residents to contact their own Councillors if they feel such works are needed in their community on other sites.”